a day passed without trouble and everything seems to be normal again, I've started trying out solo missions and have been asked to train a Guild operator recruit, I feel like I have a job right now!
"Ron! mind taking care of her in the meantime?"
"ahh! Philia! sorry but I feel like I want a break for today... If you need me I'll be at Cafe de Blanc"
"right~ take care for your savings!"
I leave without another thought with a slight smile in my face
「hmm... I feel like he's changed... although... I don't know if it was for the best...」
「yeah... we'll have to analyze his movements for every mission he takes...」
...
I enter the mall and- somehow, I'm met with an odd scene again... that puppet... well... I don't need to trouble myself with that today... I don't need to see her anyway, it's just a mild coincidence that she's here, although... why is she here in the first place anyway?
I enter the cafe and it was seemingly empty... is it not opened today?
"good afternoon sir, care for a table?"
"ahh- yes, please"
I was guided to the nearest table and proceeded with my order, it's quite calming here but it is a bit lonely to be the only one here...
after I made my order, I asked her "what's with the slow day?"
she didn't look concerned- "we don't open the doors until the mid-time of 16, as timeline from every ports are different, we need to be open 24/7 but we can't so we made a compromise"
I see... then... "the reason for opening once or twice a week is..."
"that is correct, to ease the employee's work, this place was first planned as a chill, relaxing place with no goal in mind but to help customers, we open mostly on Sundays and 24 hours for Wednesdays. there will be occasions for other weekdays but that's the most likely days you'll see us open"
I see... well... why don't I invite them here? I pick up my phone and, thankfully, got their numbers when we all met... can't call Aishah... what about...
...
gah! I can't think of anyone free today! haahhh...
the bell rings as the door opens 「welcome! I'll guide you to your table」
there's a guy! thank god I'm not the only one here! now I feel even more relaxed!
「huh... isn't today Thursday?... well, it's fine as long as I have a place to stay for today」
I don't need to invite him, just having him here is enough to soothe me...
"your order"
"thanks"
she bows and leaves the table immediately to take care the other guy, this... soothing aroma...
"mind if I sit next to you?"
"ahh, please do, nothing's taken"
he sits down across the table, I take a closer look and he looks like someone cosplaying to be the protagonist in a slice of life anime...
"mind if I ask, what do you do? for a living?"
huh? that's a straight question... hmm... "well... I guess you could say that I complete missions! well, it's some sort of a living but we can't use money in the outside world so we're practically broke when we go out right now"
the currency they use is all paper while the adventurers use their cards, points if you would say, is inside of these guild cards and with them, we can buy practically anything here although it's a bit pricey than using actual money
"sorry for the late introduction, my name's Mathew. just a passerby really"
"I'm Ron, pleasure to meet you" we both shake our hands and proceed to our own. quite an amusing guy
a long quiet silence proceeds and he asks- "Ron, I've heard the news and I learned that there was a massacre in the northern side of India, care to explain a little?"
a-ahh... right... "y-yeah... well, they attacked us first so it's not our fault"
he glares at me with doubt, "really? it didn't look like that when my team went there, it looked like it was a one-sided battle, really now..."
gah-... "well... it was them or us! we cou-"
"tell me, Ron, what did you feel when fighting them?"
is... this a trick question? "I... well, we had no choice! I woke up learning we were surrounded and we had to fight back!"
his concerned look is digging into me deeper... as if I was the bad guy here! "I'm telling you! we were forced to fight!"
"I'll have to reevaluate your kind... I'll be leaving now, I'll pay of course, just to thank you for your time" with a slight nod, he called the tab and paid as he said...
was I?... no... we were forced... right... haha... that felt... scary...
the maid walks up and asks "care for some tea?"
"oh, no. I'd like Ice cream, do you have any stock of vanilla?"
she bows and heads to the kitchen... right... I went here to relax...
...
after a couple of hours, I left and proceeded to go outside but-
the guildmaster, Nick, called me forcing me into a stop- "I won't do that if I were you". he closed the gap and calmly and as if in a whisper- "you're deemed as a serial killer right now in the outside world, don't ever go outside in the meantime or you'll have to face consequences"
he wasn't joking... his face was as stern as it gets for a small child... "huh!? we did it out of self-defense!"
I immediately felt a shock in my body, what... was that!?
"will anyone even believe that? Ron, you killed over a hundred or so bandits with unknown bodies still lingering, there were even some clues that your team hid them"
Hid them!? "I did not do such a thing! we simply checked the area to confirm!"
"I believe you, Ron, everyone here does. the only problem is the community outside our vision, the whole mass sees you as a serial killer and is called to be hiding right now, if you go outside right now, the military will be shooting when they immediately spot you. no surrendering here right now bud"
what... I... it was s-
"you don't have anything to prove that, just deny it and you'll worsen your position"
he let's go of me and disappeared into nothingness...
"me? a serial killer? yeah right... I was attacked and that's what I'll believe"
------
[video shows three people killing a whole crowd. police suspects them as a danger to our society and if spotted, report to the nearest military government immediately]
[nothing could be said to those crying screams, jut pray that they proceed to god's gates]
[two psychopaths have been spotted nearby the mountains of India, they have been deemed dangerous. if anyone spots them, report to officials as soon as you can!]
"... these news have been getting out of hand lately... what do you think Aishah?... Aishah?"
he was silent, immobile- "uhh... I'll... leave it to you then, I'll... uhh... go and call father, c'mon! it's time to sleep, it's 11 right now"
with a devastated look, he checked the videos ever so closely, every minute, he loses his trust in him. looking at the ever so happy Ron, killing every single person in the vicinity with a smile on his face only urged him to report him immediately
"I... know where he is..."
[if anyone knows them, please report to the officials immediately!]
he takes his phone but hesitated, "I... only have to choices... no... three... three choices..."
accept. report. avoid. three choices that won't help him, three choices that will destroy him,
"I..."
the door opens and his stepbrother entered with a concerned face "look, Aishah, we might've just met but you gotta rest"
with a soulless face, he asked- "Aadam... can I ask you... if you know the person and they committed a crime, what will you do?"
surprised, he replied hesitantly "ehh? weird question... I'd ask him first then if they choose to, I'll report them in my stead, they committed a crime right? then isn't it proper for them to go to jail?"
his answer wasn't the answer Aishah was searching for, but- "yeah... right... I'll tell them everything tomorrow..."
limping slowly to his bed, Aishah confirmed his will and steeled his resolved "right... I'm... doing the right thing... right?"
...
the day passes and Aishah immediately reported everything he knew about the place. every single information false answers, everything was the truth
"I see... well... thank you for your cooperation sir Aishah, we'll detain your friend soon after"
he didn't like it, he could've stop him "I... shouldn't have done that... huh...?"
--------------------
"well... sorry to say this but it seems that we can't relay you any missions right now... sorry Ron...
damn... this tag is actually annoying... I can't even skip this event... can't just press a...
"it's fine, thanks to the guild master supporting me anyway... how're my team anyway? did you hear any news?"
I'm a bit concerned at Ren more than anything
"the people you teamed with, Moon, Ren, and Lana are both in their respective rooms hiding in the Chinese server. the guild master, Chenxi is currently supporting them as with you so there's nothing to worry about. actually, this has been the 3rd Time this kind of situation happened..."
this happened in the past?... I didn't know...
"our most popular guy was Julius, as you can see, he's not wanted anymore but your situation is a lot worse right now Ron..."
gahhh... was killing them all not the greatest of Ideas?... well...
"The past can't be changed... I'll just have to hide until they leave me alone right?"
"yes, please do-"
she stops immediately... "is something wrong Philia?"
"... this is bad... Ron! hide!"
"huh? did- gahh! what's happening!-" my body's paralyzed again!"
"guild master Nick! please assess the situation!"
"got it. Ron, sorry but I'll have to do this for your safety"
he flicks his fingers, wait... what's...
"d-... what's... happening?"
-----------
good night sweet prince...
"guild master! what shall we do!?"
"deny everything, I'll manipulate everything as much as I can to further take the advantage. they'll be taking everything that could be called as a clue of his relationship to us. for now, just stall for time and act natural, don't reply to my message, just take everything into consideration. until I tell the signal, show them everything possible"
"right... please do everything you can guildmaster"
damn... someone ratted us out... we'll have to move the port somewhere else...